Automation environments typically include a quantity of machines controlled and monitored by human-machine interfaces. These human-machine interfaces may be configured to control the machines while displaying automation data related to the present or past states of the machines. The interfaces may vary widely in complexity as required by particular machines and automation environments.
Often human-machine interfaces are located within an industrial enterprise where they are used by operators to control the machines. One or more human-machine interfaces may be monitored by a supervisor or engineer via an aggregation server, allowing the supervisor or engineer to monitor the operation of the machines from a central location. This location may be a particular location within the industrial enterprise either local or remote to the actual machines under inspection.
Further, large companies may have multiple automation environments distributed throughout multiple locations. When supervisors, engineers or managers are at locations remote from an industrial enterprise that they need to monitor, they may require access to the information contained within the human-machine interface or the aggregation server from the remote location. However, the remote location may not have devices configured the same as those within the industrial enterprise. These remote client devices may have differing display capabilities.
For example, an engineer at a remote location may attempt to access data from a human-machine interface or aggregation server using a client device including a display that has much poorer resolution than the displays in the industrial enterprise. When graphical representations of the machines are transmitted to the client device for display their normal size and complexity may prevent the graphical representations from displaying in a usable manner on the client device.
Overview
A method for the conversion of graphical representations of automation environments is provided. The method includes receiving first graphics data in a first format comprising a first graphical representation of a first portion of an automation environment. The method also includes processing the first graphics data to convert the first graphics data to second graphics data in a second format. The method further includes receiving performance data associated with the operation of the first portion of the automation environment, and transferring the performance data and the second graphics data to a client device, for incorporation of the performance data into the second graphics data by the client device.
An industrial automation system including a human machine interface and a server is provided. The human-machine interface is configured to create first graphics data in a first format comprising a first graphical representation of a first portion of an automation environment. The server is configured to receive the first graphics data, and to process the first graphics data to convert the first graphics data to second graphics data in a second format. The server is also configured to receive performance data associated with the operation of the first portion of the automation environment, and transfer the performance data and the second graphics data to a client device, for incorporation of the performance data into the second graphics data by the client device.
A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for operating a computer system is provided. The instructions, when executed by the computer system, direct the computer system to receive first graphics data in a first format comprising a first graphical representation of a first portion of an automation environment from a human-machine interface, process the first graphics data to convert the first graphics data to second graphics data in a second format. The computer system is also directed to receive performance data associated with the operation of the first portion of the automation environment, and transfer the performance data and the second graphics data to a client device, for incorporation of the performance data into the second graphics data by the client device.